The Banquet
by Thea Rea
Summary: What really is the banquet? When Tohru suddenly gets invited, the Sohma's try everything in their power to stop her from going. What's so wrong with the banquet? Only the Zodiac know. [Hiatus]
1. Chapter One xx Invitation

_T . i . t . l . e ::_ The Banquet.  
**Authoress:** Thea Rea.  
_R . a . t . i . n . g ::_ Teen, may change.  
**Pairing:** Unsure. Possibly Kyo.Tohru, or Hatori.Tohru.

_W . a . r . n . i . n . g . s ::_ Nothing in this chapter.  
**Disclaimer:** Nope, I don't own Fruits Basket.

_N . o . t . e . s ::_ Go ahead and read the first chapter. I don't have much to say except, hope you enjoy it and review when you're done. This is only up because the other two I have up aren't working out right now. I have major writers block for them. So please, don't get mad at me for not updating them. Well, enjoy the story.

• _**C**_hapter_** O**_ne •  
._**Invitation**_ xx

_When the dance begun, the entire Zodiac turned their heads to face the two who stood facing each other. One was the eldest of the Zodiac, his purple eyes digging holes into those of green, who belonged to a she. They were crouched upon the ground, the robes flowing around them, black and white fabric consuming all traces of skin except for their faces. Their eyes were interlocked, a silent battle that no one knew about. An inner battle between both of their minds. The room was silenced immediately; all laughter and speaking as gone, and all eyes were trained upon the two who sat across from each other._

_The thirteen Zodiac stared intently at the two. All of the creatures were there to watch. All of them sat before the two crouching figures, their eyes staring intently at the creatures who were crouching across from each other. Something horrible was going to happen tonight, all of them knew it, and as Hatori and the unnamed woman began to dance, one of the older children turned their eyes away. The child knew that it would be too heart breaking to watch._

_The two figures raced across the small stretch that was between them, and began the dance of the Zodiac. The couple raced around each other, fluid movements making all eyes transfixed on them. The robes danced around them, ivory and ebony touching for the slightest of moments, before the two collided into each other, the woman wrapped an arm around the man's shoulders, and the purple-eyed Sohma wrapping his fingers around her waist. They pulled up to each other, eyes burning with something unknown, before he let her fall to the floor, her eyes closing as the mass beneath her came to her touch._

_Green eyes glanced up at him, and he reached down his hand, gripping her clothed wrists as he carried her up, and then lifted her, before sliding her down, his hands digging into her flesh as he did so. She winced under his touch, but it wasn't noticeable to the rest of the Zodiac. And then they spun around her each other a few times, before escaping the others grasp, and moving herself across to the other side of the stage, her running was upon her toes, before she paused, and rose herself upon her tippy-toes and creating an almost statue looking pose._

_His eyes tore towards hers, purple stealing away at the green. And then, he flowed over to her, capturing her in his arms as she fell from her pose. He bent his head down to her ear, and whispered words into her ear._

_"I'm so sorry."_

_And then, the lights died down, the candles were blown out, the flames dieing down. And then they heard the sound of a blade running across the flesh of another. The sound of a being hitting the floor rang through the small room, all eyes turned towards the stage with widened eyes. The children were crying, the older of the Zodiac looked away. The moment that they looked back, their Goddess was coming from the shadows, her dark eyes lit by the candle light that had appeared again. Her face was wearing a smirk, her lips curled up into the gesture. Her black hair was barely touching her chin, and was spiked in ways. As many did not know she was a woman, because her appearance was so much like that of a boy. But, still, her eyes bore into those that looked into them. And a sadistic cackle spilled from her lips._

_"Welcome, my precious Zodiac, to the Banquet."_

_One long, painted nail beckoned her children, and so they arose. They were all so frightened, and as they followed her into the darkness, their bodies trembled with fear. The fear, it was of her, and of this . . ._

_Of the Banquet._

x•x•x•x•x

All of them woke at once. The thirteen of them trembling in fear. Tears streamed down most of their faces, and some of them buried their faces in their hands. One of them was sobbing, the feeling of regret choking them. The year had come, the next _true_ Banquet.

x•x•x•x•x

Beautiful ocean eyes fluttered open dreamily, the world around her a blur as she first looked around. Cerulean eyes blinked a few times, eye lashes brushing against her cheeks as she did so. As she soon realized that blinking wouldn't help, she raised one smooth hand to brush away the blurs from her eyes, and it worked. As a yawn worked its way through her throat, the pretty girl sat up in her bed, a cute, but tired look was drawn across her face. Her hands worked their way back to her sides, as she glanced to her right at the clock, and she groaned slightly. It was only six twenty-three. Her body relaxed again as she dropped back into her bed, brown hair falling around her as she did so. She need those last eight minutes of rest, she was as tired as a bear in winter that morning.

But, alas, her mind would not return to peaceful slumber, and when she closed her eyes an odd sensation fell upon her eyes. She was awake, and her body wasn't ready to go back into shut down mode yet. A yawn tore through her throat again as she slipped open those pretty blue green eyes once more. She hated the morning, though she didn't show it when she was cooking breakfast and such.

And then it dawned upon her, she had forgotten to prepare for breakfast last night! Ripping off the plush covers, the cool air conditioned room made her shudder, she was clad only in a tank top and pajama shorts. Rubbing her arms, she scurried over to her dresser, pulling out her school uniform, and stumbled into it. Her fingers secured the top half of her uniform on her shoulders as she slipped on the over coat, and then rushed herself into the kitchen, pulling her hair into a tight ponytail as she moved towards the cooking supplies.

As she readied breakfast, the sunlight poured onto her form, making her glitter in the golden touch. It wrapped its warmth around her as she opened the windows, the clear day making her a bit happier, smoothing down the sullen mood that she was in. The light accented her beautiful features, making any who looked at her suddenly brighten. And as she fixed up breakfast, the eggs and toast made perfectly, she did not notice the three men come down the stairs. Two of them wore the boy school uniforms that were for her school, and the other came down in his usual attire, a yutaka. All of their faces indicated something dreadful.

Tohru looked up from her working, catching their faces just in time, before they set their gazes upon her. A worried face wrinkled her once smiling expression, and she scooted herself from around the island, moving towards them with such a face. Her fingers brushed against their cheeks and then their foreheads, her worry becoming evident.

"Shigure-san, Kyo-kun, Yuki-kun, is something the matter?" her voice was edged with concern as she glanced at all of them, wiping her hands upon the apron she put on. Her gentle umber eyes stared into the trio's. All three of them sent her a glance, two grey and an orange, landed upon the concerned girl, Tohru Honda. As their eyes melded into her own, they all relaxed in a manner that confused Tohru. She tilted her head to the side, made a clicking noise with her tongue, and then turned around, turning back to breakfast.

"Did you have it too?" Yuki's voice was a mere whisper, so light that only Shigure and Kyo could hear, especially with their ears. They nodded in unison, and all their eyes turned towards Tohru Honda. "Is it her?" he asked with concern worming into his voice, and Shigure shrugged and Kyo mouthed 'I hope not'. And Yuki nodded quietly, before Tohru turned back to them with a giant smile claiming her pink lips.

"Good Morning!" her voice chimed like a bell ringing its heart out, and Yuki and Shigure smiled, and Kyo nodded his head. "I'm sorry, I didn't start breakfast last night because of my late studies, sorry! But, I made eggs and toast, I hope this can suffice." Tohru's body bent in a bow for her apologies, and Shigure waved his hand at her in a good manner.

"Tohru-kun, my sweet house-wife, don't worry about it!" he laughed before a piece of toast was shoved in his mouth by Kyo, his orange eyes inflamed.

"Don't call her your house wife," he growled, before turning back to his own food, biting into it with a bit of anger as he did so. Tohru grinned happily, hoping that they all liked her food. And as Shigure gave her the thumbs up, chewing on the bread that had been stuffed in his mouth, Tohru sighed with relief. She had feared that they would punish her for not making anything special.

Tohru chewed happily on her own piece of toast when the phone rang, and she immediately jumped up, ready to rush over, when Shigure sat her back in her seat and walked over to it himself. Tohru blushed madly, and looked down at her food as she ate. She felt like a child. Shigure answered the phone with a questioning face, who was calling their house this early?

"Hello?" his voice questioned, a light-hearted tone coming into play.

"Shigure," the voice belonged to the purple eyed Zodiac member, Hatori, "Akito has called for Tohru. He wants her there today, and in an hour." Shigure almost dropped the phone, his mouth hung agape. It couldn't be for that, not for that.

"Hatori, she has school today," he muttered dryly, trying to get the arrangement that had been placed to get off. "You know how important education is to the girl. . ." He trailed off, leaving the rest to Hatori's imagination.

"If not then, then now," Hatori spoke in a stern voice. Shigure shuddered involuntarily.

"Fine, I'll tell her," he whispered softly. "Do you think that she's the next one?" He was muttering into the phone so that Tohru couldn't hear him. But she didn't look that attentive right now anyway. He heard a sigh from the other side of the telephone.

"We'll find out today," Hatori muttered as well. "See you then, Shigure." Hatori spoke and then hung up, leaving Shigure to mull over such thoughts.

"She wants her, doesn't she?" he spoke bitterly to himself. "I wonder what the others will put at stake to stop her." And then Shigure moved back to the dining room, holding the information about the visit inside of him. And another shudder raked its way over his system.

"Akito wants Tohru Honda."

x•x•x•x•x

Tohru tried to shake off the fear as she and Shigure rounded the bend, coming upon the giant mansion that was home to the Zodiac Goddess, Akito Sohma. She was afraid of the woman very much, not only because she was the Goddess of the Zodiac, because she also was a very dark and evil woman. She had heard of all of the bad things that happened to the people who angered her. And Tohru was one of them, receiving a scratch upon her cheek for disobeying the Goddess herself. At that time though, Tohru saw her as a God, not a Goddess; not that mattered at all. Getting back into the story, Tohru was trying so hard to keep herself from shaking as she exited Shigure's car, her knees shaking as she moved out.

"Tohru-kun, don't be afraid," Shigure's behavior made her feel a bit more confident as she nodded sadly, her fingers brushing the car door as she moved away from it. She didn't want to leave the confinements of the metal machine, she didn't want to go see Akito Sohma, and she didn't want to be scratched or slapped or beaten. Akito seemed like the person who would do all of those things, and was a person who did all of those things. Tohru was _so_ afraid.

Tohru tried to distract herself with the scenery outside, the solemn way the snow feel around them, coating the mansion and the land around it. She had almost forgotten what time of year it was, almost New Years. And she knew that this year she would be spending it with Kyo again, not that she didn't like that. Actually, she rather enjoyed spending time with the orange haired boy, and not alone. She could almost remember the first time New Years happened at her home. Yuki and Kyo had come back to her, tried to make her feel better about being alone. They had left Akito to see it. And then her thoughts about the Goddess came up again. Oh why did everything have to go back to Akito?

It took all of her strength to not tremble as she entered the giant mansion, the maids leading her towards the chamber in which the Goddess would be waiting for her. Her legs were like lead, and they moved slowly, one time almost losing the maid that was leading her towards the room. She was so scared that it was interfering with her thinking pattern, making her only think about the Goddess's evil side. And Tohru almost thought about running away.

"Excuse me, Honda-san, we have come to the room," the young maid bowed, before plodding off, the skirts around her feet lifted as she did so. As Tohru watched the last of the velvet like material turn the corner, she entered the room which held the beautiful, yet untrustworthy Goddess. And as she sat upon the ground, the figure of the said woman walked from the garden outside, dark eyes glaring down upon the young girl.

"Tohru-san," Akito's cruel voice hit her ears, and she shuddered involuntarily. "I have something I wish to ask you." Tohru looked up at her, aquamarine eyes wide with wonder, as the kimono clad woman came closer. A pale hand was placed on her cheek, and the nails just grazed her, not making a mark as they did so. A smirk was clinging to the older woman's face, as she sat down before Tohru, her navy eyes boring into the younger girls. "Tohru-san, would you like an invitation?" Akito whispered into the woman's face, a gentle finger running down her face.

"An invitation to what . . .?" Tohru asked with a curious hint to her tone, oval shaped blue eyes staring into Akito's navy ones. "Invitation to a party, Akito-san?" She asked with the same curiosity, and a chuckle passed through Akito's lips. Tohru's head tilted to the side, brown locks brushing against Akito's finger tips.

"An invitation to the Banquet, Tohru-san. To the Banquet of the Zodiac."


	2. Chapter Two xx Connection

_T . i . t . l . e ::_ The Banquet.  
**Authoress:**Thea Rea  
_R . a . t . i . n . g ::_ Teen, a slim chance of changing.  
**Paring:** Leaning towards Kyo and Tohru.

_W . a . r . n . i . n . g . s ::_ Uhm.. I think there is like one swear word.  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything that relates to Fruits Basket in anyway. The plot line is mine, but if you find a story similar, please remember that I did not steal it. I do not write for money, I write for fun.

_N . o . t . e . s ::_ Chapter Two already, huh? Well, I hope I get more reviews this time around. It's a bit longer then the last one, like two hundred words or something like that. Hopefully you'll enjoy it, and I won't be smitted for my poor writing skills. Remember to review.

• **_C_**hapter **_T_**wo •  
._**Connection**_ xx

Tohru's eyes widened in shock, her pretty features turned alarmed by the sudden news. Her head jerked away at the words that touched her ears, that smooth touch of Akito's finger tips leaving her face, also leaving a nick on her cheek where they had lain themselves. A small dab of crimson lingered upon her milky cheek. She grasped her nicked cheek, and stared into Akito's empty eyes, emotions no longer churning within those dark navy gems. Tohru looked away; her eyes not able to withstand the lack of emotion were inside those navy orbs. She squeezed her eyes shut, and she let her fingers fall from her sides, only to tighten a grip upon her own waist. She felt the fear lurch in her stomach.

Akito wasn't serious . . . was she?

Tohru's fingers drew away from the cloth that hung close to her body, straying to be put upon her knees. And Akito's cold fingers over lapped hers, dark eyes looking into her own. Tohru's mouth went dry as she looked into those eyes, and realized that this was no joke. In some part of her she was over joyed. She would be going to the banquet! She was going to be with all of her friends for New Years! And then the other part of her wanted it to be some sick joke. She wanted Akito to tear away and then slap her in the face. She wanted it to all be fake, because she was afraid of the emotions that those navy gems held. They had begun to squirm with emotion the minute Tohru tore her eyes away from her sides. Akito wanted something from her, plain and simple. She was afraid, the feeling of joy ebbing away. What could she want? Tohru's breath grew shaky as she clamped her eyes shut again.

"Tohru-san, do you accept?"

As the words fell into her ears, and registered in her brain, all she could do was numbly nod. Warnings blared out at her the minute she did such a thing, and the initial shock of such things made her jump. Her body was rejecting the decision so quickly. Tohru immediately knew that nothing good was going to come out of this. Her eyes cracked open, Akito's smile made her shiver. And again her mind registered such a smile as information for later use. Yes, Akito wanted something. But what could Tohru possibly have that Akito wanted?

"I-I accept, Akito-san," Tohru spoke softly, bowing her head to the floor as she did so. The Goddess let the brown-eyed woman's hand go, the warmth of them escaping her grasp as she did so. She smirked deeply, and then arose from her position in front of her audience. Tohru looked up at the beautiful woman as she arose, and flinched as she lowered her hand down towards her. Tohru glanced at the hand, the palm which held the lines of life, many of them running thin. The strange way her palm was a sickly shade of white. All of those things stunned Tohru for a moment, before reaching her own hand up.

And as they grasped each others hands, Akito smirked deeper as she pulled the quaking Tohru to her feet.

The connection was made.

x•x•x•x•x

The moment Tohru was outside of Akito's room, she fell to the floor with the shock that still dared to rumble inside of her body. She was breaking down from just being next to the woman for such a short period of time. She could feel her soul begin to deteriorate at the sound of the Goddess's words. And she remembered the shattering sound in the back of her mind as she invited her to the banquet. The shattering sounded like that of strong glass, as if a barrier was broken. And how the alarms blared in the back of her mind when she accepted such an invitation. And she remembered how she squirmed under the gaze of those dark gems, unlike any other time before. Before, she had been strong, this time she could only avert her eyes and shake. She was truly becoming _pathetic_.

Tohru rose from her position upon the ground, her limbs shaking as she did so. She couldn't take it at the moment, her enthralling ocean hued eyes turned towards the side, and then to the other. She needed to find a way out of the Main House, and quick. She didn't want to run into Shigure at the moment either. At any other time, she would have immediately gone to where Shigure was and left, but now, she felt to weak to be going even to the car. She stumbled, groping the wall for support as she moved. She needed to get out of the House, but she also wanted to stay away from all contact with people. She couldn't let them see her like this; she couldn't let them see her in such a pathetic position. It would make them laugh.

Trembling, the ocean-eyed girl turned the corner, brown hair flooding her sight for a moment, before she heard words from the other side, soft, but audible words.

"It's her Shigure," Hatori's voice rang through the hall way in a quiet manner that made Tohru shudder. The sound of his edging cold voice made her freeze in her position. Sometime while she was listening to his ice of a voice, she had gone rigid.

"Hatori, she can't be," the voice belonged to Shigure, she knew it. She pressed herself up against the wall that hid herself from both Hatori and Shigure. Her ears were strained to hear, and her fingers were attempting clenching the wall at her fingertips. She felt like she was going to fall again, but she did not let herself collapse and fall into darkness, not yet, anyway. She needed to know what those two were talking about, it seemed like something rather important, and it was about her anyway. Well, she thought it was.

"Shigure, Akito has chosen who she wants, and I know that she wants Tohru," Hatori's words were gentle, but trembling to the slightest degree. If Tohru was not trying to listen so hard, she probably wouldn't have heard the slight shudder that passed his tone. "But, Akito has another plan up her sleeve," he spoke, and his purple eyes narrowed. "She is planning on using Kyo instead of the New Year Member." She heard silence for a moment, and then footsteps retreating, luckily in the other way. She guessed that Shigure was shocked over something or another for she had heard no response.

She sighed, and was about to pull away, but she felt her legs stiffen. She felt her knees buckle beneath her, and her fingers lose their grip upon the wall's corner. Her ocean blue orbs were wide with surprise. She was going to fall.

"S-someone, help," she spoke aloud, hoping that Hatori would hear her. Her head came in contact with the floor, and she groaned inwardly. Trying to reach up her hand to rub it, she found the appendage numb. Fear shot through her body, and her left arm groped for the feel of her other arm. It came, but her right arm felt nothing. She squeaked as she began to slip into unconsciousness. The feeling in her right arm was still faded as her eyes fell closed, the sight of shoes were the last thing she saw before darkness overtook.

x•x•x•x•x

_The world had become black around her, her eyes wouldn't open. There was no light, and nothing of color danced beneath her eyelids. She couldn't see anything, and she hoped that she wasn't blind. She groped for an end, a floor, but there was nothing beneath her finger tips. She could not feel the wind brushing past her, telling her that she was not falling either. She felt nothing and heard nothing. Not even the breath that came from her throat made a sound. She was trapped within a cloud of darkness. She was trapped, and useless._

_"Tohru."_

_Her eyes opened immediately at the sound of her name being called, ocean colored eyes staring into completely soot hued optics. She was frightened at first, and tried to pull away, her fear taking the best of her. But as she moved back, a rush of nausea enveloped her. And the eyes in front of her narrowed with mirth, a laugh vibrated in her ears. The thing was laughing at her. And then everything became silent again, and she finally had the right mind to take in the full appearance of the thing before her._

_Ocean tinted orbs took in a child's head first, a head of black hair met her eyes, and then those same black eyes, before the nose, and then the mouth that was curved into an almost sadistic smile. Next, her eyes came upon the girl's neck, and it was adorned with jewels and crosses. A flicker of light tormented her vision as she glanced at the jewels and pendants. The apparel of the girl was nothing familiar in Tohru's eyes. She seemed to be wearing a night gown or something, the thin material a pale white, with flowers seamed into the fabric here and there._

_"Tohru, you have done something today that will change your life."_

_Tohru's eyes fell to the girl's face once more, taking a glance at those lips that moved as each word was formed. The girl's teeth were the perfect shade of white, a believable one. And then ocean eyes fell upon the sight of fangs, the glinting objects graced the young girls mouth. She looked like a vampire, and the predatory gleam in her eyes told Tohru that she might be the young girl's next victim. She gulped._

_"You are now bound by fate."_

_Blue green gems glittered with confusion as she still watched the child. Suddenly, those soot eyes turned green, and the fangs that were like those of a vampire disappeared. A sad smile graced the new face, and Tohru tilted her head to the side with confusion. Now standing before her was another black haired female, but this one was a woman. Tohru took a guess that she was at least twenty. And the once hanging down black hair was tied up in a tight bun on the back of her head. Tohru was thoroughly confused._

_"You are next in line. You are the next for the Banquet."_

_Tohru's expression was completely baffled, her eyes blinking in that way that told everyone that she didn't understand. A frown creased her lips, and her eyebrows formed together to make a complete confused expression. Her blunt teeth were tugging at her bottom lip, biting it in confusion. Tohru's ears noticed the silence was trailing on, and guessed that it was her time to speak. But she didn't have much to say._

_"Excuse me, I'm sorry to be asking this, but I don't know what you are talking about."_

_The green eyed woman nodded sadly, and her smile was the same. One green eyes turned black, and her face changed as the eye did, forming the pale complexion of the young girl once more. A smirk was crawling atop the two parts of the lips that the young girl owned, and the other was still drawn in a sad smile. And then, as the silence hung to long, they both spoke, their voices sounding as one, though completely different._

_"You have made the connection, now suffer the consequences."_

_And with that, the two faced female pounced towards her. Tohru, caught off guard, stumbled back in the blankness. The solid mass under her feet beginning to loosen as she glanced at the two faced female once more. Still, their expressions did not match. Sad, yet sadistic. Tohru was confused, but did not have much time to ponder, for the minute she was caught off guard; she was pushed from the cliff by the female. A laugh bellowed from the girl's side, as the woman's side gasped._

_What was happening?_

x•x•x•x•x

How Hatori had gotten the thrashing Tohru into his arms without transforming was certainly a mystery. But, he had done it, despite the difficulty, and now was carrying her unconscious form to his home. There really was no wrong doing in his actions, though it might have seemed a little weird to see Hatori carrying around an unconscious girl through the hallways. He swore he heard whispering from passing maids, their giggles hidden behind clothed arms. Hatori wasn't sure what they saw amusing in this, it certainly was amusing for his arms.

When he looked down at Tohru, could see the restless movements of her eyes beneath her eyelids, and whimpers passing through her lips. Hatori's face was drawn with seriousness. He was afraid of what she might have heard from around that corner. But he was also flinching at the fact that she had seen Akito seconds before she had collapsed. It could be possible that Akito drugged or poisoned Tohru, but for other reasons, that seemed highly unlikely as well. Akito had a use for Tohru now. Had it been any other season, Hatori wouldn't have given the thought a second chance.

Tohru thrashed again, her fingers coming in contact with his face, and he flinched noticeably. Her finger tips were freezing, and he shuddered at the small amount contact. He needed to get her to his house _immediately_. She had left a small scratch upon his face, much to his discomfort, one that matched her own little scratch against her cheek. Suddenly, her hands were clenching and unclenching, as if angry, before she threw one of her arms around his neck. What in hells name was she dreaming of?

She groaned, and he sighed. Where was that damned exit! This girl was getting tiring, not that he didn't like Tohru.

Suddenly, as if on cue, he felt the rush of frozen air bite his face as a door opened from the side. He wondered who it could be, but before he could question, Kureno stepped in from outside, his amber eyes watching Hatori with little curiosity. Hatori, not bothering to supply a suitable answer, practically shoved Tohru out for him to see. Kureno shrugged his shoulders and walked off, leaving the door open for him. Hatori sighed before walking out into the middle of the storm.

Now he had one last problem.

He had to walk through the courtyard to get to his place across from the Main House. He really wondered sometimes why he didn't just stay at the Main House in the first place.

x•x•x•x•x

The sky outside was a dense grey, the clouds rushing over the winter sky as a blizzard decided to step in upon them. The wind brushed up the snow, sending it into a swirl before successfully landing it upon the ground again. Ice clung to the shingles of the house like a desperate widow clinging to a dieing husband. The wind brushed through again, lifting more snow up from the ground, floating it a ways off, and then releasing it. The clouds were growing thicker as the moments passed, and the trees seemed to bend in as if trying to conceal warmth. Cruel branches stuck out from their trunks, tearing at the sky. When the wind blew, the branches creaked, and released the snow that had settled upon their branches. The groan of the branches consumed the garden, before complete silence once more was over taking everything.

Pale hands clung to the sheets, the body within wrapped inside a cocoon of warmth that the blankets offered. Dark gems gave a stoic glance towards the glass the concealed her from the disgusting winter. The snow was very thick now, and she could hardly see anything through the glass. But she did catch the form of a man, carrying something, trudging through the storm. Akito snorted, was he a fool? But then she recognized him as Hatori, and the something was Tohru. A smirk reclaimed her lips. So it had already happened, eh? What more could she expect from a weak child like Tohru Honda.

The connection was made, and already the aftershock had set in on Tohru Honda. Well, only the first degree of it.

And as the snow danced from the sky, the wind blowing a little harder, and the creaking of the branches rising, Akito stifled a laugh. Her dark gems carrying little worry for her dancer. The aftershock had never killed before. But then again, no one had weakened the barrier of the curse so much before either. The must have made the pains harder upon her next dancer. It would be amusing to see how Tohru's body adjusted to the aftermath of the her own decision.

Akito could only watch.


	3. Chapter Three xx Restriction

_T . i . t . l . e ::_ The Banquet  
**Authoress:** Thea Rea.  
_R . a . t . i . n . g ::_ Teen, a very slim chance on changing. If it does, it goes up.  
**Paring:** Leaning on Tohru and Kyo

_W . a . r . n . i . n . g . s ::_ Kyo's dirty mouth. A couple of swears here and there.  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything that relates to Fruits Basket in anyway. The plot line is mine, but if you find a story similar, please remember that I did not steal it. I do not write for money, I write for fun.

_N . o . t . e . s ::_ Okay, I've got the third chapter up already, woot! I hope you enjoy the third installment of, The Banquet, and please, please review, it helps me write. Thanks a lot for reading!

• **_C_**hapter **_T_**hree •  
_**.Restriction**_ xx

The dream fogged her mind, and she felt like she was falling still, the lurch of her stomach still evident in such an area. She could hardly breathe her throat closing up as she tried. She flailed her arms helplessly. She was going to die, she was going to die! Then she heard a voice.

"Honda-kun."

Tohru's ocean blue pools opened, their depths swirling with confusion. She gasped for air, and inside of ocean blue eyes there was the evidence of the pain she was feeling as well as the helpless feeling of being confused. There was a source of heat flushing her cheeks and forehead, and she immediately arose from her position of lying down. Her wide eyes glanced around, her body alert and tensed. Where was she?! And then she noticed the white ceiling, and the white beds that surrounded her. She sighed softly, and then looked to the right, where Hatori's eyes gazed into hers with some kind of strange intensity.

"Ah, hello, Hatori-san," Tohru's reply was shaky, her breath caught in her throat from the sudden confrontation with the man she had heard talking earlier. She felt the memory flooded her mind, the quiet words that passed through his lips. Something about the Banquet. She was going to be involved this year and something about Kyo. What was it? Or had they not said it. . . She grasped her head at the headache that had struck her mind. "I'm so sorry to bother you, Hatori-san, I didn't mean to intrude," she murmured weakly, watching Hatori as he glanced at her out of the corner of his purple hued eyes. He was back at his desk now, sorting through some papers.

"Don't worry about it, Honda-kun, you were intruding upon nothing," he spoke to her, his voice strong as he did so. She nodded meekly, and looked down at the crisp white bed sheet that covered her.

"Hatori-san, am I able to leave?" she asked with a bit of worry strained in her dazzling blue depths. He glanced at her again, before shuffling through a few papers. He didn't seem to want to talk to her. She tilted her head to the side, signaling her question in his behavior.

"Yes, Shigure will be in a few seconds to pick you up," Hatori muttered dryly, his fingers dancing along the desk, as if anxious. "Honda-kun, before you fell unconscious, do you remember anything at all? Did you hear voices or something?" Tohru's eyes grew rigid as he spoke. He knew that she was listening, didn't he? But then why was he asking her? She had to lie to him, no matter how much it made her pain on the inside. She shook her cranium, hoping that he would not ask any more questions before Shigure came into the room.

"No, Hatori-san, I just got to the corner when I collapsed," she whispered, her eyes averting from his own. Her fingers laced together as she stared down at her lap, her eyes trembling as she did so. She felt her breath catch in her throat as she disobeyed her body, not letting the tears that clotted her eyes fall. She didn't know why she had the sudden urge to start crying, but it was coming faster then she expected, and it took all she could handle to make them stay put. "Hatori-san, how long was I out?" she inquired, her fingers trembling as she felt the heat in her face increase to another degree. Her fever was spiking.

"Only twenty minutes, Honda-kun," he replied, his voice once more dry. Then he saw a spot of liquid fall from her face onto the sheets. He moved his chair over, and lifted her face to see why she was crying. When his fingers came in contact with her face, they felt the heat radiating off of her body. He let go, and she trembled a bit. "You have a high fever, Honda-kun, I'm afraid that I'll have to ask you to stay put for a moment," he scrambled off, his form disappearing from the door way.

Tohru shook her head, trying to escape the pain that had suddenly enveloped her mind. Her chocolate locks moved as she did, and some flew over her eyes, hiding her face from the world. Her hands were brought up to her face as a shock rippled through her body. She felt like she was dieing right there on the spot. She felt the after shock of the tremor rip through her body and she tore her hands from her face as her body gave a jolt. She coughed, her body still trembling. And as she released her hand from her mouth, her trembling hand, she caught a glance of her own crimson blood staining her hand.

This was the aftershock of the connection.

x•x•x•x•x

Hatori turned the corner, only to come face to face with Shigure, who had somehow gotten inside of his house. A small smile was quirking the dog's lips, and Hatori could only raise an eyebrow in question at such a gesture. Shigure let a laugh collapse the tension filled air, and Hatori grew irritated.

"Shigure, if you have something to say, say it," he practically snarled, his lip pulled back in the gesture just said. "I have to get Honda-kun some ice before that fever spikes past one hundred and five." Hatori brushed past his cousin, his shoulder bumping his as he did so. He really hated it when Shigure hid things from him, but that had to be the last thing on his mind right now. The major one that was hitting his cranium with annoying intensity was Tohru's condition. He had seen her earlier, and she had been fine. But getting sick so sudden wasn't healthy, or usual.

Hatori fished some ice out of the freezer, stuffed it into a towel. Growling at himself because he didn't have any of those ice things like they did at the nurse, he moved back towards the room in one fluid motion. For being so irritable and tired, he sure knew how to do things quickly. Shigure took notice of this. Hatori must have really cared about Tohru's condition. He pulled back laughter; he could tease his friend another time.

"Ha'ri!" Shigure whined as he walked towards his friend, his face expressing his boredom. But when he got no answer at all, he glanced inside of the room, hardly able too because Hatori was standing in the way. "Ha'ri, move," he groaned with mock seriousness, as he pushed past his friend. A smirk devoured his face as he turned towards Hatori, "God what's your problem." He joked, and then turned around to face Tohru. Her eyes were wide, and he gazed down at what she was looking at, blood soaked her hand, and the sheet below it.

"Honda-kun," Hatori snapped out of his stupor finally. He came towards the bed, leaving the ice and towel abandoned on his desk. She was trembling, and he moved towards her and gripped her arm, trying to make her stop. But he felt the tremors pulse through her arm, and he gripped her shoulders to turn her towards her. "Honda-kun, what's wrong? Did Akito do something?" he asked. Tohru's ocean blue depths turned towards him, and the only emotion placed in them was fear.

"I can't feel my right arm, Hatori! I can't feel it!" she cried out suddenly, and gripped his with her left hand, the one that was stained crimson. The blood scattered as she did so, some landing on her face, and the rest on his sleeve. Clear worry was evident in her eyes, and as she gazed at him with those fear dazzled gems, he freaked out a little bit too. "Akito didn't do anything, nothing," she murmured, "all we did was talk." She was looking away now, and the dream was starting to bounce back and forth through her head.

_"You made the connection, now you must suffer the consequences."_

"Suffer the consequences," she whispered, looking at Hatori. "M-my dream. They said 'suffer the consequences'." She looked genuinely scared now, her heart beating erratically inside of her chest. She breathed in a few times, her eyes widening. He had never seen Tohru so afraid before, never in his time of knowing her had she looked this frightened. And he was thoroughly confused at what she said about the dream, actually. He narrowed his eyes slightly, and thought, and thought.

There had only be one other person with symptoms like this before, and that was many years ago. A few years and a decade. And that girl. . .

Hatori's eyes widened and he finally realized that Shigure was in the room too. With Tohru still clinging to his sleeve, he turned around to face Shigure, a grave expression on his face. Shigure was looking at him, expecting something to come out of the other's mouth. But he was unsure if he would like what he had to say.

"The next in line is her, Shigure. She's the next one."

x•x•x•x•x

"Hey, Orange-Top, Princey, where's Tohru?" A blonde-haired ex-Yankee asked the two Sohma's as they ate lunch. Orange and grey eyes peered up at her, a smile on the grey-eyed face, and a scowl on the orange-eyed face. Truly two different people, but they both had the same desires... desire.

"She's out today," Yuki responded politely, his grey eyes traveling over towards Hanajima who stopped eating whatever it was that she was eating. That was a surprise. "Is there a problem, Saki-san?" Yuki asked with a raised eyebrow, he was slightly curious as to why she was staring at him so intently with those creepily dark eyes.

"You don't seem to be telling the whole truth, that's all," Hanajima said with no emotion in her tones. She was a very scary person when Tohru wasn't around. Very dark, less emotion then a stone, which was saying a lot. Kyo twitched an eyebrow and Yuki was smiling in an almost unconcerned way. "I haven't been getting any waves from her today either," she said quietly, her fingers finding their way back to her chopsticks to continue what she was eating.

Arisa sent the boys a glare, and then continued to eat as her friend was. Kyo and Yuki were slightly curious, the two of Tohru's friends seemed a lot less active then they usually were. Perhaps Tohru was their source of energy...? Sighing, Yuki let go of the topic, while it floated in his orange-haired cousin's mind. Today was beginning to be extremely boring, no one was talking that much, and they all realized that Tohru was their main talker. She was always so happy and energetic, and when she wasn't around it was much more sullen over anything.

"I'm going," Kyo said suddenly, standing from his chair without so much as a reason as to why he was going. He wasn't one to elaborate, and he couldn't explain why he needed to leave either. Perhaps something in his mind had clicked about all these happenings lately. The dream, the calling, and this sudden feeling of nausea as he walked from the lunch room. But there was that yearning to see her as well, and so he began to sneak out from school, no one would notice if he was gone anyway. All he wanted to learn was what exactly Akito wanted Tohru for, and that wasn't going to be taught in school.

Something bad has happened, I just know it, Kyo's thoughts raced as he ran from the school, narrowly making his escape. Something happened with Akito and Tohru. Something bad. He ran faster, hoping to make it to the Main House before anything did happen. Too bad he didn't know that it was already too late and that Akito had already made her connection with Tohru. Next was his turn, and he couldn't get out of it now.

It takes two to dance the dance of death.

x•x•x•x•x

"I'm sorry, Kyo Sohma, you are not allowed to enter the Main House," a cool womanly voice emitted from the speaker. Kyo's eyes were flaring a dangerous shade of crimson as he snarled viciously at the air, at the speaker. He flung his hands to his head, the snow wrapping him in a vicious cocoon.

"Let me the fuck in!" he growled angrily, and pried at the bars that restricted him from entering the Main House. He hated the Main House, but he could not just leave Tohru there with no one sane to watch her. Okay, Hatori was somewhat sane, but he certainly didn't have a mind of his own. Stupid bastard would erase her memories without so much as a second thought it he was told too. Another growl ripped from his throat, and he screamed again, "Let me in the fucking house before I do something illegal!"

The womanly voice was raised into a high pitched cackle, like some crazy witch. Kyo's eyebrows rose in confusion. What the fuck was wrong with this place? For some reason he was happy that he didn't have to go here every single year, or live here for that matter. The voice called from the speaker again, a taunting tone suddenly taking over, "I'm sorry, Kyo Sohma, but it is restricted to let you inside of the Main House." Kyo was about to scream again when he took a double take. Restricted? What the hell?

Suddenly, Kyo's legs fell beneath him, but he was more then conscious of it. He growled in anger and frustration and all those good things. He was restricted in every sense of the word now. The snow brushed itself past his fingers again, numbing his body to a certain extent. he growled viciously, and tried to get up, only to realize all feeling in his legs had ceased.

"What the fucking shit is this?" he snarled hastily, and tried to get up once more, but failed miserably. His arms flung towards the gates, and he dragged himself towards them, clinging to the ice cold metal. As he breathed, the white cloud of his breath appeared before him and lingered in the air. "If I can't get in," he shouted agitated, "can you at least tell me what the hell is happening, and how Tohru Honda is?" His worry had gotten the best of him when he said such a thing.

"Restriction, Monster, restriction." The voice belonged to that witch of a person, Akito. And Kyo struggled to lift himself up. "And Tohru Honda is fine; she just coughed up a few cups of blood here and there. She's currently with Hatori. And don't worry, Kyo, you'll get to see her, soon." A maniacal laugh was heard through the static, and then the speaker when dead and Kyo cursed everything. Damn restriction. And then it registered, Tohru had coughed up blood. He screamed in frustration, his fangs glinting in the dim sun light that dared pass through the clouds.

He knew that he was going to be worse then her soon, if another person did not come soon, he would get hypothermia. But then again, Akito probably wanted that.


	4. Chapter Four xx Glaciation

_T . i . t . l . e ::_ The Banquet  
**Authoress:** Thea Rea.  
_R . a . t . i . n . g ::_ Teen, slim chance of changing. If so, it would go up.  
**Pairing:** Kyo and Tohru, final.

_W . a . r . n . i . n . g . s ::_ A swear word here and there, nothing too bad.  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything that relates to Fruits Basket in anyway. The plot line is mine, but if you find a story similar, please remember that I did not steal it. I do not write for money, I write for fun.

_N . o . t . e . s ::_ Okay, this is the last chapter that is kind of like the prelude. The next few chapters will begin the chaos.. hopefully. Well, hope you enjoy this next chapter, and please review.

• _**C**_hapter _**F**_our •  
._**Glaciation **_xx

When Kyo finally awoke, his head felt like it had been skewered with a sword. His orange eyes peeled open, his body feeling numb as he lay wherever he happened to be. His fingers found the edge of whatever he was laying on, feeling for a smooth or hard surface. His fingers felt nothing for a moment, the sensation of his finger tips disappearing after being so unused for so long. But when his groping finally got him somewhere, he felt he gentle plush of a mattress beneath his fingers. His orange eyes narrowed as he looked up from where he was sitting. The unlit room was a bleached white, the walls unadorned. He blinked a few times, where was he?

It took a second for his eyes to adjust all the way, and when they finally did, they landed on the door that was slightly cracked open. A sliver of white light slithered on the floor towards his bed, but landed just before it, the white light making him blink continuously. He heard cautious muttering from outside the door, the sound of two male voices talking in low voices. He caught nothing of their words but could only guess that the two were Shigure and Hatori by the sound of their mumbles. One of them was dry and serious, clearly pointing towards Hatori, while the other had that annoying drawl to his voice which immediately said Shigure.

Kyo strained to listen, but caught no words as he heard their footsteps recede from outside. He growled to himself, and tried to move his legs, when he found that they were still completely numb. He tried to shift them, but there was no movement from the blanket, and no movement from his legs. He tried again, but he felt nothing, like his legs were cut off. But he could see the outline of them under the sheet, so he was pretty sure that they were there. Grumbling something incomprehensible to himself, he lay back down in the bed, laying his arms behind his head.

The orange-haired boy was mulling over his thoughts, thinking over the happenings of the day. It had only been one day and already things just went berserk. He knew that Akito must have had some kind of horrible dream like the other thirteen had. Or perhaps, in that twisted man's head, it was enjoyable. That would make much more sense. He muttered again, his words inaudible to anything around him, not that there was anything around him actually. Just as he thought such a thing, the corner of his eye caught a movement on the bed beside him. He shot up in his bed, well, his top half did.

"W-who's there?" Kyo spurt out, his orange eyes wide as they settled upon the form under the covers. It shifted again, and then fell motionless; the only movement was from the breathing of the thing's chest. Grasping his own chest, Kyo gripped at his skin. Wait... since when was he shirtless?! Freaking out, Kyo looked down, and noticed that he had been stripped down to his boxers. "What the hell? I didn't know Hatori was a pedophile!" Kyo shrieked. How he was thinking about Hatori being a pedophile at a time like this? Not even the Author was sure.

"I-I can't feel it," a delicate, feminine tone floated from beneath the white covers that hide the figure to his left. A hand came out from the covers, the palm of it covered in half dried blood, the crimson crusts marring the skins surface. Kyo's face lifted with alarm as he looked at it, and then noticed that it was stretched out for something. He was tentative at first, his fear getting the best of him for a second. Did he really want to touch some weird hand that stuck out from the blankets? Not really, but it was beginning to grope at the air frantically. He swallowed all sense of fear, and stuck on his hand, the blood masked fingers gripping him tightly.

"H-hello?" Kyo asked with a quavering voice, very unlike his character. The fingers clenched harder, and then brown-haired head popped out from beneath the covers. Then two blue eyes came from above them white sheets, and finally a face, a face that was pale white. Kyo was taken aback at first; unable to comprehend who he was staring at. It looked like a very sickly girl for a second, then a zombie, and then he finally realized whose hand he was holding. Tohru. He jerked her forward, and she jolted forward at his rough pull. "Tohru," he whispered, and she looked up at him with wide eyes, as if she too finally realized who he was.

"K-Kyo?" she said, dropping the '-kun' from his name. "Kyo, what are you going here?" She was looking afraid now, and she slipped her fingers from his. Her thoughts were racing, but he could not catch all the emotions that swam in her eyes. At first it had been surprise, happiness, and then it slowly turned to anxiety, fear. She swallowed hard, and then looked away. She was thinking about Hatori had said earlier.

_"But, Akito has another plan up her sleeve," he spoke, and his purple eyes narrowed. "She is planning on using Kyo instead of the New Year Member."_

"Tohru, Tohru are you okay?" he asked worriedly, his fingers reaching for her again, the feel of her hands gone from his own. "Tohru, what happened today?" He was distraught, his eyes pits of worry. He wanted her to talk to him, but she seemed to have lost her voice suddenly. When she had turned away, he was completely afraid of what she might have been thinking. He reached across the beds towards her, and touched her arm, gripped it with all his might. He could see her flinch and then shudder. Suddenly, the sensation that she was feeling gripped him too.

Kyo's eyes widened as he continued to grip Tohru's arm, the feeling of ice being showered upon him took over. His fingers clung to the girl's skin, and she began to feel like ice as well. His lips quivered, and his teeth began to clatter. Something strange was happening to them, but what could it possibly be? His orange eyes grew large as another sharp wave of icy air hit him, and he had to intake a sharp breath to even breathe. The air he was taking in was cold as well, and he might have frozen on the spot if he had not let go of Tohru. She turned towards him, a wide-eyed expression freezing over her expression.

Kyo turned away from her this time, cradling himself within his own arms, trying to get the remaining cold air from his body. What had that feeling been when he touched Tohru? Why had it felt as though he was suddenly freezing over? He closed his eyes, squeezing the two body parts shut as he tried to conserve warmth. Today was just getting weirder.

Little did they know that they had just experienced the second stage, Glaciation.

x•x•x•x•x

Akito glanced down at her fingers which were beginning to tremble. She was getting that chilling feeling; it must have meant that Kyo and Tohru had touched each other. It wasn't a good idea to be in contact with a partner before God touched him or her. It always resulted in some kind of pain; Akito knew that it was some kind of pain that the toucher had felt just before he touched the other. So that was why the feeling had been of ice, because Kyo had been freezing outside right before he woke up. Akito shouldn't have allowed him to stay out there so long; it sacrificed the possibility of getting him to dance with her next dancer.

Akito shuffled her feet against the ground as she opened her doors quite hastily, her dark eyes narrowed. She had to get touching the Cat over with. They had experienced Glaciation, one of the steps before the learning dance. It had been called different things before, such as Lacerate before. That was the last years, and the pain had been a terrible wound inflicted upon the others skin when the second touched the first. It was a very disgusting wound, as Akito remembered it. But, it was the one whom touched the other's fault, defiantly not Akito's. It was still a faint memory, but the blood was still on the back of her eyelids.

Musing over said thoughts, Akito pushed her way passed servants who tried to ask her for the reason she was out of the room. She merely tossed them dirty looks and continued on her way, legs moving faster as she gained up upon the room that Kyo and Tohru were staying. Why exactly was she forced to tell them where she was going? It was her god damned house after all. . . Stopping at the door Akito recalled her thoughts, she had forced Hatori to put them inside of the Main House for certain reasons. Mostly because she would be able to access their room better, and because they would be staying at the Main House very soon anyway. They might as well get used to it.

Pulling the doors open, Akito stormed into the room, her mood suddenly turned sour. Tohru's met her's first, a wide-eyed, innocent expression came from the brown-eyed girl. Akito merely smirked, her pale hands looming over Kyo's back. Kyo knew that she was there, but he had already thought it over and came to one fact, that he didn't really give a shit. Finally, after studying him for a moment, Akito came down a grasped Kyo's hand firmly within her own, her grasp heaving him up a little bit with her, much to both Kyo and Tohru's shock. Akito didn't really care. Kyo groaned in protest as he was lifted, but then was easily tossed back into the bed behind him. The bed groaned at the sudden pressure put back on it.

"You two will be staying here until New Years," Akito pretty much demanded with no room to argue, and then walked out of the room, letting the doors close behind her slowly. She sent them a smirk over her shoulder, "You'll be staying in the same room together, remember that. Oh, it only has one bed." Then Akito retreated, leaving Tohru and Kyo too look at each other in confusion. Akito was growing tired already, and as she entered her chambers once more at an amazingly fast speed, she slumped into the bed. "I don't know if I'll be able to last till New Years," she said lazily, her eyes closing. It had to happen soon, New Years, she meant. It was the twentieth of December, eleven more days. Just eleven.

x•x•x•x•x

Back in the room with Kyo and Tohru, Kyo was gaping a bit, jaw going slack. "W-what?" Kyo was at a loss for words. Akito had just told them that they would be staying in the Main House, staying in the same room together, and that they would only have one mattress! What was this, the loony bin?! Kyo was aggravated, burying his face in his hands, drawing his knees up to him. Wait . . . he could feel his knees. A smile crinkled his lips, but it wasn't going to be long lived. He was still aggravated with Akito despite this new accomplishment, he was livid actually, and that was saying a whole lot. What was with this sleeping arrangement? Did Akito think it was funny to make them sleep together?

Wait, wait. He had to mull over that thought for another second. Sleep together. That made it sound like he was sleeping as in having sex with Tohru! How was he going to tell his cousins this? Shigure would probably laugh his face off, while Yuki would grow immensely angry and attempt an attack. Well, that was Kyo's guess, and it usually worked out that way anyway. Sighing, his flipping onto his stomach and buried his face in the pillows, maybe he just needed a good rest. Sadly, he wasn't going to be getting any rest. He was too distracted by the constant moaning of Tohru's mattress, she kept moving around like a psycho.

"Kyo, what did she mean?" she asked worriedly, his orange eyes rose to catch a glance of the worried Tohru, who had flipped to meet his gaze. He could sense that she was extremely anxious about all of this. "I don't know how that would work Kyo! I'm a very heavy sleeper, and I tend to roll!" Suddenly, her hands flew up to her face in what seemed to be shock. "What if I roll into you, you turn into a cat, and then I roll on you! Oh no!" She freaked for that moment, covering her face in her hands. Kyo chuckled. She looked up, and he could almost see the offense in her eyes.

"Tohru, if I transformed into a cat in my sleep, don't you think I would know it?" Kyo laughed a bit again, and then faced her with a dazzling smile adorning his handsome features. "Don't worry, we won't roll into each other, hopefully. And if you do happen to end up pressing up against my torso, the minute I turn into a cat, I'll jump off the bed, okay?" Kyo laughed again, and Tohru looked at him with furrowed brows.

"Okay Kyo, but make sure," she whispered, and then curled into a ball on her bed. "I'm scared Kyo, really, I am." And then she drifted off into slumber, leaving Kyo to muse over new found thoughts. But it was only a manner of time before he was beginning to drift off into slumber, and as he looked at her peaceful face, he only hoped for the best.


	5. Chapter Five xx Begin

_T . i . t . l . e ::_ The Banquet.  
**Authoress:** Thea Rea.  
_R . a . t . i . n . g ::_ Teen, slim chance of changing. If it does, it goes up.  
**Pairing:** Kyo and Tohru.

_W . a . r . n . i . n . g . s ::_ A lot of Out of Character moments.  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything that relates to Fruits Basket in anyway. The plot line is mine, but if you find a story similar, please remember that I did not steal it. I do not write for money, I write for fun.

_N . o . t . e . s ::_ Well, I said that it would be the last chapter like a prelude last chapter, but this one is actually the last one. It discusses minor things. Humph. Please excuse the crappiness of this chapter.

• **_C_**hapter **_F_**ive •  
._**Begin **_xx

For the next day, Tohru, Kyo, and Akito had various meetings discussing the importance of their (Kyo and Tohru's) staying in the Main House. It was not a big reason, but when ever Akito spoke to them, she seemed to be hiding something beneath her words, cloaking them with a clever disguise that set them off in a completely different direction. She was being sly with her choice of wording, and tricking them without their notice. It was a clever little plan, the one that Akito had set upon the floor. It was a shame that she couldn't openly tell them what exactly she was doing. If she could her speech would start out with something like, _"Killing two birds with one stone..."_ But, she could not, and therefore, Kyo and Tohru were left in the dark as to the real reason they were kept inside the home of Akito Sohma.

But, then again, she did not tell them a whole lie. The way her words played out made it seem like a simple plan, but she hid something more complex, deeper, beneath her words. The dark haired, dark eyed Goddess was very cautious about what she did, and many could see it in her work with the two teenager. Left in the dark, and completely naive, that was exactly how they needed too be.

The first formal meeting between Akito and the dancers was very civil and cool. Part of it being that Shigure and Hatori were outside the door, and part of it as a ploy to capture her dancers in the web of her uncharacteristically sweet behavior. They were certainly floored by her uncommon share of emotions, the way she detailed things only to a degree in which they were left much to the imagination. The way she smiled with her mouth, but they did not notice the sadistic gleam in her eye. Akito was a good actress that was for sure.

"Tohru-san, Kyo, I do have a good reason to which you will be staying with me till New Years, do not worry. - _Yes_, Kyo, the arrangement of sleeping is _correct_ - The reason behind the new housing is because I am giving this year a special twist, one that no one is suspecting." The sadistic gleam had shown ever so slightly, lighting those twisted pools of lies to a certain extent. "You two will be the dancers of this year." She had not given any explanation, and as she had guessed, they did not ask questions. They were positively stunned at what Akito had said, much to her enjoyment.

Jaw was slack as Kyo Sohma spoke, "_I_ will be allowed into the banquet- no, _we_ will be allowed to the banquet? And_ dance_?" He seemed positively surprised, the emotion clearly set upon his handsome features. He did not turn to face Tohru with such an expression, his eyes filled with confusion, almost alarm. Akito did not falter her own facial expression, looking at the two with a sense of calmness around her form. Tohru was completely speechless, but you could see the tears of happiness well inside her beautiful aquamarine eyes.

"Tohru-san, is something the matter?" Akito momentarily breaking the calm atmosphere that had consumed the room in an awkward silence. Tohru lifted her hands to her face, hiding her pretty features from the world. Akito and Kyo could hear the mumbling, and the sniffling beneath her hands. Akito could catch both the phrases _'next in line' _and _'suffer the consequences' _in her words, a shock slowly devouring her sadistic eyes. But it did not remain long, and when she noticed that Kyo had not taken in the words that she had mumbled, Akito gently grasped one of Tohru's hands. The vibration of the girl's trembling was now shaking her fingers.

"Akito-san, thank you so much," she whispered in an almost inaudible voice. Akito face jumped a bit at the quiet response, but a gradual smile lifted her lips. Looking at Kyo, who was trying to cheer Tohru up, Akito's smile grew an inch wider. The girl gripped the older woman's hand, and Akito shuddered at the sudden tightening of the grip that they held together. Tohru's face turned up, flashing Akito and Kyo a brilliant smile. "Thank you so much, you could never understand how much it joys me." The truth was evident in her voice, and Akito let out a sigh of relief. Tohru's blue eyes looked up at her, and navy met sky blue, before Tohru averted her eyes towards Kyo.

"A maid will show you too your room and you will begin the dance today. Hatori will be teaching Kyo his moves, while Tohru will be taught by our very own Shigure," a sweet smile touched her lips, and then she motioned them out of her room, a smirk sent after them. They didn't notice the expression on their faces, because as they left they both gave her smiles. "Enjoy my dancers." She whispered, and then moved back into her room with that smirk still devouring her features. How fun would this new Banquet be?

x•x•x•x•x

"Oi! Tohru-kun!" Shigure's excited voice came from down the hall, and alerted by her name, Tohru Honda spun around on spot. Her eyes were still red from her tears of joy, and her body was shaking slightly. Shigure didn't seem to notice it as he came up to her with happiness radiating off of him. "I heard I'm going to be the one who teaches you the dance!" He spoke with an excited tone, his hands flying around hers expressing his amazement. She tore her hands from his, and then turned around, a red blush fogging up her face.

"Ah, S-Shigure-san, I heard. But, I don't feel so good about all of this," Tohru muttered in an uncharacteristically dark voice. Her brown eyes were flooding with tears again, but these were of worry. "I don't think I want to dance, Shigure-san. I don't know if I even can." Her voice was quavering as she tried to make up a good excuse to get Shigure off of her back. But Shigure was not surprised by her words, rather he was amused. The emotion was written across his face, and he walked towards her with a rather lazy smirk coiling his lips.

"Don't worry, Tohru-kun," he breathed into her ear, his hot breath tickling her ear lobe. He was only playing, and Tohru grew flustered under his touch. "I'll teach you everything I know, my student." His arms were around her waist, but he held her back just a smidge, so that he didn't transform. He was smirking in a rather amused way, and he could feel the heat rising on Tohru's face.

"S-S-Shigure-san!" she blurted out and then pushed herself out of his grasp, her hands flinging to her face in moderate surprise, a very deep shade of crimson staining her cheeks. "W-We should start soon, right?" She asked hurriedly, as if to get them on the move before he could place his hands on her again. Though, little did she know, that most of the dance that he was going to teach her, involved roaming of the hands. Oh, it was a fun dance!

"Oh, yes, let's go!" he spoke in that same enthusiastic tone as he had put up before. A grin lifted his lips, and he lead Tohru down the hallway, grasping her small hand. He could almost taste her sadness in the air, the way she walked with a downcast look, and she was muttering something beneath her breath. A few solitary tears strayed down her cheeks. It was truly odd, and Shigure could not decipher what exactly she was thinking. Sniffing the air in a sense of curiosity, they soon stopped before a door. Shigure spun himself around to a half-hearted smile, courtesy of Tohru.

"Come on now, Tohru-kun, it will be fun!" he said, and she widened her eyes at his ability to read her like an open book. "It's a fun dance, I have to ensure you. Do not ask me why I was taught the female part of it, I just was." Shigure spoke in a tone that could match Ayame any day. "Well, it's mostly about eye-contact, footwork, and hands," Shigure trailed on, as he gripped Tohru's hand, pushing her into the room with him. Positioning himself a few feet away from Tohru, he glanced over her, before nodding to himself.

"Okay, this is one of the first moves in the dance," spoke Shigure's playful tone. He gripped her arms, and forced them into a rather . . . interesting position. Putting one hand over the right side of his face, and the other gripping his left leg, just above the knee. She had to crouch to get the position right. "And then Kyo will be like this. . ." he drawled out, and then gently put his fingers under her chin, tilting her head to face him, and his other hand over hers, the one that was placed on his face.

Tohru was watching him with bright ocean eyes. She was staring directly up at him, her fingers barely pressed against his skin. When she looked up at him, she didn't see Shigure; she saw Kyo's face instead. She opened her eyes a bit wider, but the image faded when she did. Shigure was looking down at her with clearly curious eyes. Tohru shook her head fervently, and smiled back at him. Once more her smile was clearly half-hearted.

"Then, after a few seconds, say ten, you both rip away from each other." - Shigure jolted back, and Tohru followed his sudden movement, acting as though his skin burned. - "You end up in a position like this. . ." walking over to her, he lifted her from her position on the floor, and then made her crane her neck, have one arm extended up, and her other cradled in front of her. She was still on two feet though, but that was soon to change. A second later, Shigure instructed she was to bend forward, and then have her leg in the air. It was rather a peculiar pose.

"Hm. . ." Shigure mused, tapping his chin as he looked at her like she was a piece of expensive artwork. "Good, good. We shall start the next part then." He walked over to her, and placed one hand on her lower arched back, and the other on the same spot, but in the front. Then he pushed down with the hand on the back, forcing her to break position and fall towards the ground, only to be pulled up by him, his right arm cradling her limp looking body. "Perfect," he laughed and let her back on her feet, before tossing her a few feet away. Luckily, she landed, but happened to fall upon her knees after she did so. Shigure gave a hearty laugh; Tohru stared at the floor in her embarrassment.

The rest of the practice was just the same, but got a bit more hectic each time she learned something new.

x•x•x•x•x

Then there was Kyo's practice. . . Hatori was never more annoyed in his life. He had to act like the female partner in this, even if it was only for short while when they had to practice the moves in partners. Now, their meeting before the whole thing was even more stupid then the dance practice itself. Neither of them had ever felt so irritated, ever! And so, after their little discussion, which they spoke of sleeping arrangements and Kyo's behavior, they began the dance practice. The first position was rather, for a lack of a better word, weird. As said in the dance with Shigure and Tohru, Hatori had to clutch Kyo's leg, and touch his face.

Can anyone say, awkward?

As they carried through the practice, Hatori grew more and more agitated. Eventually, he just gave up on being the female partner. He told Kyo what he had to do, and once while practicing, asked a maid to fill in as the partner. She did a good job, to say the least. They were well past Tohru and Shigure's practice as the time flew by, and Kyo was getting better. There was only one part that was a bit unsettled with Kyo.

It had something to do with lips meeting in a brief, parting embrace. Nothing big, Hatori said. But of course, Kyo freaked. It was a _kiss_! And with _Tohru_ no less! NOTHING BIG? He really wondered how Hatori got to be so calm over everything. Kyo had thought that he'd be insane, seeing that he did know Shigure, and was, dare he say it, _friends_ with him. It wouldn't be long until Shigure's perverted germs were to infect Hatori. How . . . scary.

Anyway, back to the dancing.

"Okay, this is the part were you will, uh, have a brief meeting of the lips," Hatori said, furrowing his brow in concentration. "I guess that we'll just have to get Tohru in her, huh?" Hatori said, making his way to the door, before Kyo stopped him with a freaked out face. "What?" Hatori said with little to no caring in his voice. How _cruel_.

"We can just skip it, okay?" Kyo said with a hesitant air. Hatori blinked for a few seconds, considering Kyo's thoughts, before nodding with an air of disappointment.

"Fine."

That was the last word that parted Hatori's lips that night. The rest was intense practicing. Kyo didn't know how his body could bend before, and it freaked him out when he could do all those crazy things that Hatori had showed him. Because, of course, he decided not to speak anymore.

It was an odd night for both parties. And when they met up again, Tohru was red from the work-out, but it was actually at Shigure's behavior. It was a bit, unnerving. Shigure was a very good dancer, but also very stern, but playful.

How confusing.

And as Tohru and Kyo entered their bedroom, they gazed at the small, cramped bed they were given. For the room, it seemed completely out of place. Narrowing his eyes, Kyo snarled. Tohru squeaked.

How exactly was this going to work again?


End file.
